Rail anchor



July 15 ,19124. f 1,501,255

AAAAAAAA OR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 led M y 17 19 July 15, 1924.

l i,5o1,255 PATENT oFFicE.

OLD. G. WARE, OF PARK RIDGE, ILLINOIS, SSIGNOB TO THE P M COMPANY, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

RAIL ANCHOR.

Appucauqn med may 17, 1922. serial m.' 561,808.

To lall whom t may concer/n.'

Be it known that I, HAROLD G. Wm, a

citizen of the United States, residing at` i of which thel following is a specification.

My invention relates to rail anchoring devices adapted to resist the tendency of railroad rails to move longitudinally.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved one piece rail anchor which may be easily applied to or removed from the basev f-langesl of a rail without danger of subjecting the. anchor to excessive -strains Aand which will be maintained in its applied position by spring pressure of the anchor.

A specific object of the invention is the provision of a rail anchor having a jaw adapted to be driven into tight engagement with one flange of a rail base` and having a body which extends under the rail base and engages the other edge thereof, the body being provided with a portion having greater flexibility than the jaw portion, whereby the flexing of the body of the anchor will relieve theJ jaw portion of excessive strains during the application of the device to a rail.

A more speciiic object of the invention is to provide van anchor device that maybe formed from a single bar of metal by bending the same to provide ahook shaped jaw adapted to be driven upon one of the base flanges of a rail base and provided at the other end with an offset or shoulder adapt-y ed to engage the opposite edge of said rail base; the hook shaped jaw having such configuration that the flexing strains incident j to the forcing of the jaw upon the base 'flange will not be confined to one point of the ]aw, such as is common in certain other types of anchors, but on the contrary will be distributed over substantially the entire jaw. Another object is to provide a rail anchor having novel abutments engaging posite edges of the rail base that may be ormed by an inexpensive o eration and to further provide the. body o the anchor at a point intermediate its jaws'with a portion havin "eater flexibility than the other parts vo t e anchor so that the more rigid parts of the anchor will be subjected to a minimum amount of flexure during the application of u the device to a rail.

The invention further consists in v such other new and improved constructions re.-

lating to rail anchors as willbe hereinafter described and claimed for carrying outthe above stated vobjects and such other objects as will appeary from the following description.

The invention is illustrated in certain preferred embodiments in the accompanying drawing, wherein like characters of refer,- ence designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures thereof and wherein- Fig. 1 is a front view in elevation of a rail anchor device constructed in accordance with my invention shown applied to the base flangeJ of a rail, the said base flange of the rail being shown in cross section and the approximate distortion of the anchor being indicated by the dotted line configuration of the anchor;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1' showingthe position that the anchor assumes during its application to a rail.

-Fig. 3 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a front view, in elevation, of a modied form of anchor.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the structurel shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a front view in elevation of another modifed form of anchor device, and

Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of the anchor device shown in Fig. 6.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing, 10 designates the base portion of a railway rail and 11 one of the cross ties on which therail is supported. A

My improved rail anchor, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, is preferably made from a relatively heavy bar of metal havin some resiliency, such, for example, as stee and consists of a body portion 12 formed at one end with al spring ]aw 13 for engaging one of the base flanges of the rail, and at the other end with a shoulder 14 adapted to engage'with the other edge of the rail base. The spring jaw 13 is formed by bending one end of the body ortion 12 to provide a rela; tively large hoo the end portion of which curves downwardly toward the rail base so that its end only will bear against the upper inclined surface of said rail base.l The losv treme end of the hook is preferably bent upward, as indicated by the reference numeral 16, so as to provide a flat bearing surface which will bear rmly against the upper surface of the rail base when the anchor is driven transversely of the rail ,to its applied position. The vertical distance between the bearing surface 16 of the jaw 13 and the upper surface of the body12 is normally less, when Jfree of the rail, than the thickness of the rail base at the point enged by the end of the hook when the anc or is in its applied position. The jaw 13, therefore, is su jected to a flexing stress when the anchor is in its applied position. The shoulder 14 at the end of the body, instead of being formed by bendingthe bar 12 in the manner customary in the manufacture of devices of this character, is preferably offset at 17 with relation to the body 12 of the anchor. By offsetting the end of the bar to provide the shoulder 14, a substantial saving of labor and material is effected, since the oiset 17 may be formed by a simple pressing or u setting operation and less stock is there y required than would be necessar to form a shoulder of equal height by bending the end of the body.

In order to minimize the flexing of the resilient `aw 13 during its application to a rail, the ody portion 12 is bent to provide a downwardly inclined surface ,18, the inclined surface providin suitable clearance for the adjacent edge o the rail base when the anchor is in its partially appliedY position as shown in Fig.' 2. They bend 12a is, preferably,so disposed with relation to the bearing point of the jaw 13 on the upper surface of the rail base, as to minimize the flexing of the jaw during its application to a rail and at the same time provide suiicient spring pressure to hold the shoulder end 14 of the anchor in its operative position. The application of the anchor to a rail is further facilitated by reducing the thickness of the bar at one end, preferably by pressing so as "to increase the iexibility of the body of the anchor. The pressing operation also has another advantage in that the material removed from the reduced portion is swaged into the other portion ofv the bar. Wih such construction the thinner portion 20 of the anchor bod permits the end of the anchor adjacent t e shoulder 14 to flex downwardly, thereby minimizing the angle, designated 21, between the under surface of the rail base and the upper surface of the anchor body, so that the jaw 13 will not be `ileiired, during the a plication of the anchor, to any appreciable` istance beyond the point that it assumes when in its normal operative position.

' In application of the anchor to a rail, the s132313 is applied over one edge of the rail and the anchor is then driven in the surface 19 of the jaw 13 engages with the opposite edge of said base. In Fig. 2, the anchor is shown in a partially a plied posltion, in which position, the o set portion 17, forming the shoulder 14, bears against 'the undersurface of the rail; this end of the anchor being flexed downwardly at the thin, weaker portion 20. When the anchor is driven home, the jaw 13 is flexed from its normal inoperative position, with respect to the body 12, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l, to its operative 4position shown in full lines in Fig. 1. When the anchor is in its operative position, the distance between the shoulder 14 and the surface 19 of the jaw is referably such that they will take a shac Ye hold on the vertical edges of the rail base, should the anchor, for any cause, be shifted to a'slightly diagonal position.

In Figs. 4 and 5, I have shown a modified form of anchor device embodying certain of the features of the device shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. In this modified construction, the anchor device. is made of sheet metal, preferably spring steel, and is formed at one end with a. relatively rigid jaw or hook portion 23 which engages both the upper and lower surfaces Aof the rail base and `at the other end with an upstanding lug or shoulder 24 adapted tov engage the opposite edge of the rail base. The' body portion 25, preferably, decreases in width 4toward the shoulder 24 so that the portion of the body adjacent the shoulder will be more flexible than the portion of the body adjacent thel jaw end of the anchor, whereby the body portion will be lexed on a horizontal axis when the jaw 23 is driven to its rail gripping position. As soon as the shoulder 24 clears the edge of the rail base, it will snap into the position shown in Fig. 4. The lip 26 of the jaw portion is preferably formed with a recess 27 so as to insure a firm contact of the end portion of the lip with thel rail base, and the upper ed e of the body 25 is recessed, as indicate at 25, 'so as to avoid the shoulder 24 being held out of proper engagement with the ed e of the rail base in the event that the un er surface of said base is rough and uneven.-

In Figs. 6 ,and 7 I have shown another modification, in which the device is made of sheet metal. This embodiment consists of a ilat body portion 28 adapted to extend across a rail base and is formed at one end with two upstanding jaw portions 29-30, havin recesses 31 which receive one edge of the rail base. The jawv members 29-30 are 4adapted to be driven to a tight grip ing contact with the upper* and lower aces of the rail base and the body portion 28 is adapted to function as a spring tongue to The body portion is maintain the device in its applied position. preferably bentlupwardly toward the rai and its fiat upper surface bears against the under surface of the rail base adjacent one edge of the rail, the outer end of the bod being formed with an upstanding li 32 w 'chsnaps vover the edge of the rail base and engages with the vertical ed e thereof. When the anchor is in its applied position one of the upstanding jaw portions 29 or 30, as the case ma be, will be in position to bear against an a jacent cross tie.

While I have shown my invention in certain specific embodiments, other structural modifications might be made without departure from the s irit of my invention. I, therefore, wish 1t understood that I con'- tem late all such modifications coming within t e scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A rail anchor comprising a body portion formed at one end with a resilient jaw for enga ing one flange of a rail base and at the ot er end with a pressed offset portion forming a shoulder for engagingl the other ilange of said base.

2. A- rall anchor comprising a body porl tion formed at one end with a resilient jaw for engaging one edge of a rail base and having an opening which is normall of less width than the thickness'of the rai .base at the pointengaged by said jaw, and formed at the other end with a pressed offset portion providing a shoulder adapted to engage the other edge of said rail base.

3. A rail anchor comprising a member formed at one end with a spring jaw the vertical dimension of the rail base opening in which, before application of the device 'to the rail, is less than the corresponding dimension of the rail base at the place engaged thereby so that said. jaw has to Ibe spread in application to the rail, and at the other end with an upwardly projectin rail base abutment to beara'gainst the ed: e face of the rail base at the other side o the rail, the end of said member having the abutment being more flexible than .the other end so that it can bend downwardly and then spring back into lace as the abutment slides over the under ace of the rail base in appli-cation of the anchor to the rail to obviate the necessity of excessive spreading of the jaw.

' 4. A rail anchor comprising a body portion formed with means for engaging opposite edges of a rail base,`the means for engaging one of said edges comprising a resilient hook shaped jaw, the end of which extends downwardly toward the rail base and bears against the up r surface thereof with spring' pressure to e ect a spring grip of the anchor on the rail; the body rtion adjacent said hook-shaped jaw being formed to provide clearance for the ed e of the rail base during the application o the anchor to a rail.

5. A rail anchor comprising a member formed at one 4end with a spring jaw the vertical dimension of the rail base opening y in which, before application of the device to position thereom and being more flexible than the portion forming the jaw so that it may bend when the anchoris lapplied to the rail to obviate the necessity of excessive spreading of the aw.

6. A rail anchor comprising a body ortion formed at one end with a pressed o set portion providing an abutment for engagin one edge of a rail base and at the other en with a spring jaw adapted to be driven over the other edge of said rail base and stressed to grip the upper and lower surfaces of said rail base with spring/pressure; said body portion being formed to Hex during the application of the anchor to a rail to minimize the Hexing of the said jaw.

7. A rail anchor comprising a body portion formed at one end with a hook-shaped jaw having a rail base receiving recess between the extremity of the hook and the body portion of a size insufficient normally to receive the rail base in operative position therein and adapted to be subjected toa flexing stress when applied to a rail, formed at `the other end with a shoulder adapted to engage the opposite edge of the rail base, and provided with a portion of maximum lexibility intermediate said jaw and shoulder adapted to be flexed duringlthe application of the device to a rail to relieve said jaw of excessive strains when the anchor .1s applied to a rail.

8. A rail anchor comprising a body portion formed at one end with a hook-shaped jaw having a rail base receiving recess be-` tween the extremity of the hook and the body portion of a size insuilicient normally to receive the rail base in operative position therein .and adapted to be subjected to a lexing stress when applied to a rail, formed l at the other end with a shoulder adapted to engage the opposite edge of the rail base; said body being weakened at a point intermediate said jaw and shoulder to increase its iexibility whereby said jaw is relieved of excessive strains during the application of the device to a rail.

9. A rail anchor comprising ai member vertical dimension of the rail 'base opening .in which, before application of the device to the rail, yis less than the corre ending dimension of the rail base at the p ace engaged thereby se that said jaw has to be spread in application to the rail, andat the other end with an upwardly projecting rail base abutment to bear a inst the ed face of the rail base at the ot er side of t e railj thel intermediate portion of said .member being formed to bear continuously against the under side of the rail base, when the device is in operative position thereon, and the end thereof adjacent said abutment being of smaller cross sectional area than the rest of said member so that it will bend when the device is a plied to the rail to obviatethe necessity o excessive spreading of said jaw.

viding a 'aw vportion which engages the upper sur ace and Vertical edge of a rail base and formed at the other end with an abutment for the opposite edge of the rail base; said body decreasing in Width toward said abutment and adapted to flex to relieve said jaw of excessive strains'during the application of the device to a rail.

HAROLD G. WARR. 

